Apple has refreshed its line of MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, and unveiled that exceptionally regular design MacBook. Of course, we couldn’t help but take a look at how it stacks up against the potential MacBook killers out there; in this case, the Dell XPS 13, Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3, and the Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro. The new MacBook Pro and MacBook Air have also been included to provide a better idea of just how many computers Apple is putting out these days.
Nobody can doubt that the MacBook is one of the nicest looking laptops ever made, and at 3.5mm at the thinnest point, it is only topped by the MacBook Air. Apple has even opted for a fanless design by using the new Intel Core M processor; despite the fact that there have been reports that machines running on the Core M are sluggish and not entirely up to par.
There is not much to choose from these six machine in terms of graphics power. None have a discrete graphics card and rely on Intel’s HD Graphics. On the other hand, the refreshed MacBook Air features much newer Intel HD 6000 graphics; while the new MacBook Pro bumps that up to Intel Iris Graphics 6100. Both of which should be substantially better than the other integrated graphics on the competition.
In terms of resolution, it looks like other manufacturers have caught up to the whole Retina display deal. While the MacBook puts out an interesting 2304 x 1440 resolution, it is easily matched by our choice MacBook killers. In fact, it doesn’t look too hot when compared to the 3200 x 1800 resolution on the Dell XPS 13.
The main issue with the new MacBook 2015 is the fact that it only has one port. A single, solitary USB Type-C port that is meant to also serve as the charging port. In other words, users get one peripheral of their choice connected at any time. In completely unrelated news, Apple is also selling a wide array of new adapters.
In comparison, both the Dell XPS 13 and Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro have an array of USB ports, backed up by SDcard readers.The XPS 13 also has a mini-Display Port, while the Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro has a Micro-HDMI out port. Even the oldest of the competition, the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 has a USB 3.0 port and a Display Port. Apple may have sacrificed a little too many ports in its quest for the thinnest and lightest laptop. Yet, it still remembered to put a pair of USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt ports on the other MacBooks.
With this in mind, it looks like the new MacBook falls a little short of getting ahead of the competition. Apple may have put too much effort into getting the look right, and it feels like the actual function of the device was left as an afterthought.
That being said, it looks like Apple manage to get the MacBook Pro and Air refreshed into something worth owning. Which means that we can conclude that the best alternative to owning an Apple MacBook is owning an Apple MacBook Air.
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